By Ajuwa Victor
Concerned traditional rulers and community stakeholders in Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, have raised serious concerns over the growing incidence of drug abuse among primary and secondary school students.
Speaking anonymously, several community sources lamented a disturbing trend in which many schoolchildren have abandoned their academic pursuits, showing little or no interest in attending classes or engaging in meaningful learning.
According to the sources, drug use has increasingly become normalized among students, with many seen roaming the streets in their school uniforms during official school hours instead of being in classrooms.
They further disclosed that some children now perceive substance abuse as more appealing than education.
Another source revealed that many students deliberately skip school, convinced that formal education is no longer a viable path, while resorting to drug use as an alternative lifestyle.
Investigations identified several hotspots within Asaba, including Ogbogonogo Market, Ibusa Junction, Market Square, ShopRite Mall, Summit Junction, and Mariam Babangida Way, where schoolchildren reportedly loiter, beg for money from motorists and passersby, and engage in substance abuse.
Stakeholders recalled that during the administration of former Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, the Delta Edumarshal initiative was introduced to address similar social challenges by curbing street culture and promoting school attendance among children.
The programme was widely regarded as effective, significantly reducing crime, cultism, and drug abuse among school-age children, while also improving school attendance and academic performance.
However, it was later discontinued during the tenure of former Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.
The Delta Edumarshal initiative was designed to achieve key objectives, including crime prevention through reduced juvenile delinquency, enhancement of educational outcomes by ensuring consistent school attendance, and the promotion of discipline by discouraging street loitering during school hours.
Since its discontinuation, stakeholders observed a resurgence of negative social behaviours among schoolchildren, including increased street hawking during school hours, rising crime rates, declining academic performance, and worsening literacy levels.
In separate interviews, some traditional rulers, who preferred not to be named, described the situation as alarming and called for urgent intervention.
They urged the government and security agencies to take decisive action against perpetrators and ensure strict enforcement of laws to curb the menace.
The stakeholders specifically appealed to the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to urgently revive the Delta Edumarshal programme as a strategic measure to restore discipline, ensure school attendance, and safeguard the future of children in the state.
